Operations and Office Manager

£45,000-£55,000

Full Time, Central London

An award-winning 70-strong architecture studio working on beautifully crafted projects is seeking a proactive Operations and Office Manager to proactively lead this sociable studio.

Reporting to the Directors, this role is central to ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of this vibrant business, maintaining a strong culture, and supporting compliance, HR, IT, finance, and facilities.

The role

This position takes ownership of the day‑to‑day operational running of the practice, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and a positive working environment for the team.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Overseeing quality, environmental, and health & safety systems, including maintaining certifications, carrying out risk assessments, and coordinating internal training
• Managing all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding through to payroll, benefits administration, and performance reviews
• Taking charge of facilities and office operations, including relationships with landlords, maintaining workplace standards, and handling general administrative needs
• Contributing to wider business initiatives such as social value programmes, equality and inclusion reporting, and immigration compliance
• Planning and delivering annual studio-wide events alongside ongoing staff engagement activities
• Acting as the primary liaison with external IT providers, with responsibility for core systems, software, and providing day-to-day technical support within the office
• Handling sales invoicing, processing expenses, and offering ad-hoc administrative and diary support to the senior leadership team

About you

• You bring demonstrable experience in practice or operations management gained within architecture, design, or the wider built environment
• You are comfortable overseeing multifaceted operational processes and working with IT systems and office technology, supported by specialist external advisors where required
• You are methodical, highly organised, and confident working with numbers, with clear and effective communication skills
• Discretion and professionalism come naturally, and you are able to thrive in a busy, fast-moving studio setting
• You are proficient in Microsoft Office; experience using Xero, Hubdoc, or CMAP would be advantageous

This role is ideal for a proactive, hands-on operator who takes pride in creating systems and environments that allow creative teams to thrive.

We will do our very best to help you find your ideal job. Our approach is personable and we believe that your job hunting experience should be enjoyable. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please visit our website for all vacancies – https://place.co.uk/

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Place is an equal opportunities employer and recruitment agency.